Regarding Manual AA

[RogueFlameHaze]

Is there any use to putting this on American Cruisers that are fitted out for AA (such as Baltimore or  Des Moines)? I have heard mixed things about this skill, and it seems like it wouldn't affect 80% of the AA armaments on the DM, as the 76.2mm guns are under the limit of the skill. So I was looking to see if anyone had any conclusive results before deciding what I wanted to run for commander skills on these ships, since my tests with it on the NO didn't really show anything conclusive whether I was targeting the squadrons or letting the AA choose its target. 

[Wo_9]

i'd only get it if u have alot of 127 mm guns like Midway or US Battleships 

[barbeerian]

I tested it out and it's trash on the NOLA, Baltimore, and probably on the DM as well since the DM gets most of its long range AA from the 76mm guns that won't benefit from it. Just stick with AFT for the range and hold on to those 4pts and put 'em into concealment expert once you hit 15.

[Nachoo31]

Concealment expert for a Cruiser?  Is worth it?

[Megrim3]

i'd only get it if u have alot of 127 mm guns like Midway or US Battleships

 

works great on NC and Iowa. 63 planes shot down last night...over 40 in a game tonight. with tier 8-9 planes

[atPrick__]

Its trash, maybe trash is to strong...

 

still irked I picked the skill and had to reset my 17 point captain to get rid of it....

[Grunt_Pro]

Concealment expert for a Cruiser?  Is worth it?

 

Concealment perk on most cruisers is absolutely necessary.  There really isn't much else you need. Just make sure you have concealment as soon as you can.  It make stealth firing so much easier, on top of letting you sneak into good forward positions early game.  My DM has something like 10km surface detection. I can't remember off the top of my head.

[atPrick__]

 

Concealment perk on most cruisers is absolutely necessary.  There really isn't much else you need. Just make sure you have concealment as soon as you can.  It make stealth firing so much easier, on top of letting you sneak into good forward positions early game.  My DM has something like 10km surface detection. I can't remember off the top of my head.

Like GP said

It really isn't even an option on the USN line, after the Cleve... maybe Pensa you need CE

[Grunt_Pro]

Like GP said

It really isn't even an option on the USN line, after the Cleve... maybe Pensa you need CE

 

I've actually been considering rebuying the Pepsicola and sending my DM captain down into it, so see how it performs with a 17 point captain... It would pretty much be a T7 New Orleans at that point I think.  Maybe even better considering the concealment perk works off of your stock concealment.  I'm debating it anyway.  Maybe that would turn the Pepsicola into something terribly fierce.  Because it would pretty much get like 5K knocked off its surface detection, considering its stock detection is over 15km. 

 

Might make it a credit farmer at that tier. 

[RogueFlameHaze]

 

I've actually been considering rebuying the Pepsicola and sending my DM captain down into it, so see how it performs with a 17 point captain... It would pretty much be a T7 New Orleans at that point I think.  Maybe even better considering the concealment perk works off of your stock concealment.  I'm debating it anyway.  Maybe that would turn the Pepsicola into something terribly fierce.  Because it would pretty much get like 5K knocked off its surface detection, considering its stock detection is over 15km. 

 

Might make it a credit farmer at that tier. 

 

as long as you didn't immediately get one shot by the first bb that spots you XD

[1nc0mp3t3nt_1]

Is there any use to putting this on American Cruisers that are fitted out for AA (such as Baltimore or  Des Moines)? I have heard mixed things about this skill, and it seems like it wouldn't affect 80% of the AA armaments on the DM, as the 76.2mm guns are under the limit of the skill. So I was looking to see if anyone had any conclusive results before deciding what I wanted to run for commander skills on these ships, since my tests with it on the NO didn't really show anything conclusive whether I was targeting the squadrons or letting the AA choose its target. 

For ships like the North Carolina and Iowa, it's probably going to be a lot better when paired with AFT since its a boost to the long range AA guns, but at default ranges, I haven't noticed. I do not have a 19 skill point captain to test it

[Takiton]

Concealment expert for a Cruiser?  Is worth it?

 

We have been waiting for you.  =)

[barbeerian]

 

I've actually been considering rebuying the Pepsicola and sending my DM captain down into it, so see how it performs with a 17 point captain... It would pretty much be a T7 New Orleans at that point I think.  Maybe even better considering the concealment perk works off of your stock concealment.  I'm debating it anyway.  Maybe that would turn the Pepsicola into something terribly fierce.  Because it would pretty much get like 5K knocked off its surface detection, considering its stock detection is over 15km. 

 

Might make it a credit farmer at that tier. 

 

Probably wouldn't be that great on the Pepsi since you can't mount the concealment module. You'd still have a 13.x km spotting range.

[Killjoy1941]

I've been saying this since the PT server was up...

 

You have to stack BFT, AFT, MFAA, and adding the AA2 module is recommended. Doing that on a cruiser equipped with defensive fire gives you almost the same AA as a pre-patch AA configured cruiser.

 

You can't have everything just by picking AFT now. You have to choose what kind of build you want. If you want great AA you have to specialize for it. If you want concealment, you have to specialize for it. If you want good damage control, you have to specialize for it. If you want great secondaries, you have to specialize for it.

[atPrick__]

I've been saying this since the PT server was up...

 

You have to stack BFT, AFT, MFAA, and adding the AA2 module is recommended. Doing that on a cruiser equipped with defensive fire gives you almost the same AA as a pre-patch AA configured cruiser.

 

You can't have everything just by picking AFT now. You have to choose what kind of build you want. If you want great AA you have to specialize for it. If you want concealment, you have to specialize for it. If you want good damage control, you have to specialize for it. If you want great secondaries, you have to specialize for it.

 

So

 

You can no longer run a max AA boat with CE

 

Is that what you are saying???

[Killjoy1941]

 

So

 

You can no longer run a max AA boat with CE

 

Is that what you are saying???

 

You can... if you never pick any extra level 1-3 skills and have a 19 point captain.

[IAMMUDBONE]

I did run into a nasty situation with manual AA this past weekend. I was using it on my Katuzov while 3 torpedo squadrons attacked a friendly Tirpitz, targeted one squad and hit my defensive fire consumable, and it seemed to only affect the squad I had targeted. The other two squads dropped their torps straight and true, and crushed the poor Tirpitz. He accused me of not hitting def fire, but I definitely did, and I felt bad for the guy. I went and respecced out of manual aa after that game. I don't know if anyone else has seen this, but I suspect it is bugged and only applies def fire to your targeted squad. I would rather disrupt all planes instead of one squad.

[Grunt_Pro]

 

Probably wouldn't be that great on the Pepsi since you can't mount the concealment module. You'd still have a 13.x km spotting range.

 

Ah. Yea. Good catch. 

[Grunt_Pro]

I did run into a nasty situation with manual AA this past weekend. I was using it on my Katuzov while 3 torpedo squadrons attacked a friendly Tirpitz, targeted one squad and hit my defensive fire consumable, and it seemed to only affect the squad I had targeted. The other two squads dropped their torps straight and true, and crushed the poor Tirpitz. He accused me of not hitting def fire, but I definitely did, and I felt bad for the guy. I went and respecced out of manual aa after that game. I don't know if anyone else has seen this, but I suspect it is bugged and only applies def fire to your targeted squad. I would rather disrupt all planes instead of one squad.

 

That would make sense, because it pretty much focuses all your AA on that 1 squad, instead of giving the squad a priority over the others.  When you priority target squads not all of your AA guns are firing at them... And for the most part, the only guns that actually do prioritize them are the Duel Purpose guns, and duel purpose guns are notoriously bad at AA duty.  So that would make sense. I'm more surprised that the squads you were focusinging didn't instantly evaporate under that kind of focused fire... which personally, I feel if you are going to specialize in that kind of game play.. then that is exactly what should happen.. I don't really care if its T8 AA trying to knock out T10 planes... if you are specializing for that specific role, then you should get your just reward out of it.

[barbeerian]

I did run into a nasty situation with manual AA this past weekend. I was using it on my Katuzov while 3 torpedo squadrons attacked a friendly Tirpitz, targeted one squad and hit my defensive fire consumable, and it seemed to only affect the squad I had targeted. The other two squads dropped their torps straight and true, and crushed the poor Tirpitz. He accused me of not hitting def fire, but I definitely did, and I felt bad for the guy. I went and respecced out of manual aa after that game. I don't know if anyone else has seen this, but I suspect it is bugged and only applies def fire to your targeted squad. I would rather disrupt all planes instead of one squad.

 

AFAIK Defensive Fire affects all enemy aircraft in your AA range, regardless of whether or not you're focusing your AA on one squadron. The bombers might've simply gotten just out of your AA range before they dropped, or the Tirpitz was sailing in a straight line and ate a schwack of torpedoes even though they were in a wide spread. I know I've hit plenty of craptacular BB captains through an AA screen like that.

[Killjoy1941]

 

AFAIK Defensive Fire affects all enemy aircraft in your AA range, regardless of whether or not you're focusing your AA on one squadron. The bombers might've simply gotten just out of your AA range before they dropped, or the Tirpitz was sailing in a straight line and ate a schwack of torpedoes even though they were in a wide spread. I know I've hit plenty of craptacular BB captains through an AA screen like that.

 

Yup. AA works normally with MFAA. If anyone doubts this, they can fire up a training battle against a few CVs and not focus anything; they'll still knock down planes.

[Grunt_Pro]

 

Yup. AA works normally with MFAA. If anyone doubts this, they can fire up a training battle against a few CVs and not focus anything; they'll still knock down planes.

 

That isn't what we are asking tho.  We are asking what happens when you DO focus a squad and you have MFAA.  Does that stop the Defensive Fire from hitting everything other than the squad you have focused?  Because if so, that is pretty garbage.

[Fodder4U]

I put it on my Balti and regret it now. Don't really see a difference with it. Oh and @Grunt yes your AA will fire at other planes in the area too.

[BGrey]

 

That isn't what we are asking tho.  We are asking what happens when you DO focus a squad and you have MFAA.  Does that stop the Defensive Fire from hitting everything other than the squad you have focused?  Because if so, that is pretty garbage.

 

My impression was that it always worked like that (even without the new skill), unfortunately I can't remember where or when I saw something that made me believe that.

[Killjoy1941]

 

That isn't what we are asking tho.  We are asking what happens when you DO focus a squad and you have MFAA.  Does that stop the Defensive Fire from hitting everything other than the squad you have focused?  Because if so, that is pretty garbage.

 

I don't know how many times I've had to say this, but MFAA just gives a targeting bonus. AA does not change at all.